Power plant for treating material in strip formation



May 30, 1961 A. 1.. G. PELLETIER POWER PLANT FOR TREATING MATERIAL IN STRIP FORMATION Filed June 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FROM "01 AIR FIGJ.

May 30, 1961 A. L. G. PELLETIER 2,936,682

POWER PLANT FOR TREATING MATERIAL IN STRIP FORMATION Filed June 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

United States Patent POWER PLANT FOR TREATING MATERIAL IN STRIP FORMATION Albert Louis Gabriel Pelletier, Epinal, France, assignor to Comptoir de llndustrie Cotonniere, Etablissements Bousac, Paris, France, a French company Filed June 12, 1958, Ser. No. 741,652

Claims priority, application France June 19, 1957 6 Claims. (Cl. 318-7) The present invention has for its object improvements brought to power plants for the treatment of material in strip formation such as fabrics or the like, said treatment being executed in a plurality of succesive sections through which the product moves longitudinally before entering a final section in the treated product which is wound.

In such a power plant, it is generally necessary to provide for widely difierent running conditions, for instance as follows:

(I) the normal linear speed of progression for the material undergoing treatment should range between 10 and 80 meters per minute, said speed being preferably subjected to a preliminary adjustment;

(II) a slow speed of progression of meters per minute controlled by a special push button should be possible;

(III) the acceleration and the deceleration should be adjustable;

(IV) the mechanical tensioning should be adjustable separately in each section;

(V) for the winding in the last section, the requirements should be as follows:

The diameter of the roll of material varies during the winding in a ratio as of 1:6;

The tensioning of the treated material should automatically remain constant during the winding operation, whatever may be the linear speed of engagement of the strip of sheet and the diameter of the roll;

The value of said constant tensioning should be adjustable at the beginning of each operation or during operation;

'Ihe tensioning should be maintained during stoppage, but also allow its cutting out;

Reversal of motion of the wound roll should be possible at a low speed, the other sections of the machine being then at a standstill.

(VI) all these adjustments should be obtained without any tensioning or diameter feeler being required throughout the machine;

(VII) automatic adjustment for the speed of the whole arrangement should be ensured through a moisture detector for the treated material in the case of a drying treatment or through any means adapted to check the progression of the treatment in any other type of plant.

To. this. end, the plant according to the invention includes a motor for each treating section and two generators of which one feeds the motors controlling the sections providing for a longitudinal movement of the treated product and the other the motor controlling the winding section.

According to a further feature of the invention, the energization of the motor of the section producing longitudinal movement just ahead of the winding section is obtained by two separate windings adapted to produce each one half of the maximum flux, the other motors of the sections providing longitudinal movement including a series energization and a separate energization while the motor of the winding section includes a series energization. The first generator which is adapted to feed the motors of the sections producing longitudinal movement includes a separate energization and the second generator adapted to feed the motor of the winding section includes three energization windings, to wit: a first separate winding adapted to supply the totality of the necessary flux, a second separate winding adapted to supply one half of the necessary flux and a series winding adapted to supply one half of the total fiux and connected in opposition with the two other windings.

According to another feature of the invention, the first separate energization winding of the second generator and the energization winding of the first generator are connected in series and fed preferably by an electronic arrangement with an adjustable voltage.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the second separate energization winding of the second generator and one of the energizing windings of the motor of the section preceding the winding section are connected in series and fed through the agency of adjusting resistances by a supply of current which latter feeds also the other energization winding of last-mentioned motor through the agency of other adjusting resistances.

According to a further feature of the invention, the series energizing windings of the motors of the sections producing longitudinal movement, except that of the section preceding immediately the winding section, are mounted in parallel through the agency of balancing resistances.

According to another feature of the invention, the separate energizing winding of the motor of at least one section producing longitudinal movement may be fed with a voltage of adjustable value and direction.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, of which Fig. l is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of the drive motors of a power plant relative to material treatment apparatus, and

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram of a power plant according to the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be assumed that the power plant considered includes three sections in each of which the treated product 50 executes a longitudinal movement and a fourth section providing for the winding of the product treated in the three preceding sections.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 each of said four sections is driven separately by a motor respectively M1, M2, M3, M4. The motors M1, M2, M3 are fed by a generator G1 while the motor M4 is fed by a generator G2. The generators G1 and G2 are driven by a three-phase motor M.

The arrangement illustrated may serve, for instance, for the sizing of a textile warp. In this case, the sheet of material is impregnated with glue or the like sizing between the motors M1 and M2, dried between the motors M2 and M3 and on a drum 59 driven by the motor M2, and wound by the motor M4. More specifically and with respect to Fig. l the textile warp 50 stored on a roll 51 is unrolled by a pair of pulling rollers 52 driven by the motor M. In the guiding rollers 53 and 54 a loop 55 is formed in a sizing container 56. It then passes between guiding rollers 57 and 58 and around a drying drum 59 driven by the motor M2, and after that it is treated by a fluid gas, such as hot air, coming from a blower 60 having individual pipes 61. The movement of the textile warp from the drum 59 is effected by two pulling rollers 62 driven by the motor M3. Finally the cloth is wound on a roller 63 driven by the motor M4.

The speed of progression of the sheet is adjusted by a 3 moisture detector controlling the state of dryness of the fabric at the output end of the drum.

The motors M1 and M2 of the two first sections include each a series energizing winding, respectively 2 and 4, and a separate energizing winding, respectively at 1 and 3, the number of ampere turns of each of which is much smaller than for the series windings 2 and 4 (the ratio being for instance of the order 1:10).

The series windings 2 and 4 are connected in parallel through the agency of adjustable balancing resistances, respectively 2a and 4a.

Assuming the motor M2 is selected as a pilot motor, its separate energizing winding 3 is not fed. In contradistinction, the separate energizing winding 1 of the motor M1 is fed by a supply of direct current 14 through the agency of a bridge including resistances 15 and 16 of which the resistance 16 is provided with a stationary medial tapping while the resistance 15 carries a slider, whereby the winding 1 may be fed with a voltage of an adjustable magnitude and direction. The energization of the motor M3 associated with the section producing longitudinal movement and preceding immediately the winding section is obtained through two separate windings 5 and 6 of which each may supply one half of the total flux. The winding 6 is shunted by an unvarying, adjustable resistance 7.

The generator G1 is provided with a single energizing winding 8 while the generator G2 is provided with three energizing windings, to wit: a first separate winding adapted to supply one half of the necessary flux, a second separate winding 10 adapted to supply the total flux required and a series winding 11 adapted to supply one half of the flux required. This last winding is connected in opposition with the two others and is shunted by an unvarying, adjustable resistance 12.

The motor M4 of the winding section includes a series energizing winding 13 the polarity of which may be reversed through the agency of the reversing switch 13a. The energizing winding 5 of the motor M3 is fed by a supply of direct current 17 through the agency of an unvarying resistance 18, of a rheostat 19 and of a switch 20.

The other energizing winding 6 of the motor M3 is connected in series with the energizing winding 9 of the generator G2, the system formed by said windings being fed by the same supply 17 through the agency of an unvarying resistance 26, of a rheostat 27 and of a switch 28. The resistance 26 may be short-circuited by a switch 29 and the switch 28 may be shunted by a combination of resistances 30, 31 controlled by the switches 32 and 33.

The energizing winding 8 of G1 and the second separate energizing winding 10 of G2 are connected in'series and are fed by an electronic supply of direct curent 21 controlled by the switches 22, 23, 24 and a hand-wheel 25.

The closing of the switch 22 provides running conditions for the electronic supply 21, which correspond to the starting of the plant and to the operation of the latter at a reduced speed. Upon closing of the switch 23, the speed of operation of the plant rises gradually up to the high speed value which has been previously adjusted through actuation of the handwheel 25; the closing of the switch 24 produces a transient extra energization at the moment of the starting of the plant.

The above plant operates as follows? the speed of operation of the plant as a whole is defined by the voltage supplied by the electronic equipment 21 to the windings, respectively 8 and 10, of the generators G1 and G2. Said speed is subjected to a preliminary adjustment through the agency of the handwheel 25. This being done, it is s-ufiicient to act on the switch 23 for gradually increasing the voltage provided by the equipment 21 and thus the speed of operation of the plant, said progressivity being obtained in any suitable known manner,.for in- .stance by resorting to the time constant of a system incorporated with a circuit controlling thyratrons forming part of the equipment 21. Said speed may be modified during the operation of the machine through the agency of the handwheel 25 without any delay intervening.

The mechanical tensioning of the product treated in the diiferent sections is adjusted as follows:

By reason of the insertion in parallel of their main energizing windings 2 and 4 respectively, the motors M1 and M2 have a tendency to revolve at the same speed, which would correspond to a zero mechanical tensioning of the material that is being treated. To produce a tensioning between M1 and M2, the energization of M1 is modified in a suitable manner by a shifting of the slider of the resistance 15.

The tensioning of the material undergoing treatment between M2 and M3 on the one hand and between M3 and M4 on the other hand is defined by the motor M4 driving the winding section.

The power developed by M4 is adjusted through the rheostat 27 connected in series with the energizing winding 9 of G2 which feeds directly M4.

It should be remarked that the tensioning between M4 and M3 is much higher than the tensioning between M3 and M2 so that M3 operates as a generator and feeds in parallel with G1 the motors M1 and M2.

Through a modification of the energization of M3 as obtained by increasing for instance the current in the energizing winding 5 through the rheostat .19, M3 is caused to produce an increased power. Now M3 is driven by M4 through the agency of the material undergoing treatment and the power adapted to be supplied by M4 is defined as disclosed hereinabove through adjustment of the rheostat 27. The power of M3 cannot therefore increase or, in other words, M3 and M4 must low down, which is an equivalent of maintaining the tensioning of the treated product between M4 and M3 and of reducing this tensioning between M3 and M2.

It should be remarked that the tensioning of the material undergoing treatment is automatically maintained at a constant value in the winding section in spite of the increase in diameter of the roll 51, this being due to the lowering of the voltage provided by G2 under the action of the series energizing winding 11. Asa matter of fact, the current in said winding has a .tendency'to increase when the power required for the motor M4 has a tendency to increase with the increase in the diameter of the roll 51, which leads to a weakening of the energization of G2 since the direction of the winding '11 is opposed to that of the windings 9 and 10 as illustrated bythe ar'- rows on the diagram.

As disclosed hereinabove, the material'50 undergoing treatment should be tensioned even during a stoppage of the plant. Said tensioning is obtained by opening the switch 28 and by closing the switch '33 which inserts the resistances 30 and 31 in the circuit of the energizing windings 9 and 6 of the generator G2 of the motor M3 respectively, which weakens the energization ofsaid machines to the extent required. It should be remarked that this tensioning during stoppage is bound to the tensioning obtained for normal operation by the presence of the rheostat 27 which defines said tensioning for normal operation. 7

As also disclosed hereinabove, there is provided a reverse speed for releasing the finished roll 51. To this end the energization and thus the direction of rotation of M4 are reversed by reversing the direction of insertion of the winding 13 through the agency of the reversing switch 13a and by reducing the energization of G2 by opening the switch 28 and closing the switch 32 so as to insert the resistance 30 in the circuit of the energizing winding 9 of G2. 1

It should also be remarked that the power available for reverse motion is also bound to the power used for normal operation due to the presence of the rheostat 27, since the power required -for releasing the roll Sl depends on the weight of the latter or, in other words,

on the power which has been required for its formation.

For operation at a reduced speed, which may also be required as mentioned at the beginning, the energization of G1 and G2 is reduced by a reduction of the voltage feeding their windings 8 and 10. This reduction is ensured by operating the electronic device forming the direct current supply 21 through depression of a pushbutton which is not illustrated. Simultaneously with the reduction of the voltage, the switch 29 which is normally closed is opened so as to insert the resistance 26 in the circuit of the energizing field windings 9 and 6, with a view to reducing for said reduced speed the roll-winding stress.

The result of the preceding disclosure is that the diagram described hereinabove and illustrated in the drawing allows providing very different running conditions, such established running conditions being maintained automatically in spite of the modifications in the operative conditions produced by an increase in the diameter of the roll formed in the winding section, said constancy being obtained solely by a suitable selection of the electrical data of the machines used without any mechanical or the like means for detecting the diameter of the roll or the tensioning of the material undergoing treatment.

Of course, the embodiment described hereinabove and illustrated in the accompanying drawing is given solely by way of a mere exemplification and in a non limiting sense and it is possible to modify in any desired manner the shape, the nature, the arrangement and the connection of its elements without thereby unduly widening the scope of the invention, as defined in the accompanying claims.

Thus, the plant may include any number of individual sections and may serve for any kind of treatment of any strip or sheet material. On the other hand, the plant may be subjected to parameters other than the diameter of the final roll 51, such as the moisture contents or the like.

What I claim is:

1. A power plant for the treatment of material in strip formation in successive treating stages, comprising a plurality of motors each adapted to make the material strip progress longitudinally through one treating stage, the last motor of said plurality of motors including two separate field windings adapted to produce each one half of the maximum flux required by the corresponding motor and the other motors of said plurality of motors including each a series field winding and a separate field winding, a generator including a separate field winding and feeding said motors, a further motor controlling the winding of the strip material beyond said treating stages and including a series field winding, a further generator feeding said further motor and including a first separate field winding adapted to supply the total flux required for said second generator, a second separate winding adapted to supply one half of the flux required for said second generator and a series field winding adapted to supply one half of the total flux required for said second generator and inserted in opposition with reference to said separate field windings of said second generator, and means feeding the different separate field windings.

2. A power plant for the treatment of material in strip formation in successive treating stages, comprising a plurality of motors each adapted to make the material strip progress longitudinally through one treating stage, the last motor of said plurality of motors including two separate field windings adapted to produce each one half of the maximum flux required by the corresponding motor and the other motors of said plurality of motors including each a series field winding and a separate field winding, a generator including a separate field winding and feeding said motors, a further motor controlling the winding of the strip material beyond said treating stages and including a series field winding, a further generator feeding said further motor and including a first separate field winding adapted to supply the total flux required for said second generator and inserted in series with the energizing field winding of the first generator, a second separate winding adapted to supply one half of the flux required for said second generator, a series field winding adapted to supply one half of the total flux required for said second generator and inserted in opposition with reference to said separate field windings of said second generator, means feeding the different separate field windings and including an electronic feed system feeding the first separate field winding of the second generator and the energizing winding of the first generator, and means for adjusting the voltage supplied by said electronic system.

3. A power plant for the treatment of material in strip formation in successive treating stages, comprising a plurality of motors each adapted to make the material strip progress longitudinally through one treating stage, the last motor of said plurality of motors including two separate field windings adapted to produce each one half of the maximum flux required by the corresponding motor and the other motors of said plurality of motors including each a series field winding and a separate field winding, a generator including a separate field winding and feeding said motors, a further motor controlling the winding of the strip material beyond said treating stages and including a series field winding, a further generator feeding said further motor and including a first separate field winding adapted to supply the total fiux required for said second generator, a second separate winding adapted to supply one half of the flux required for said second generator and inserted in series with one of the separate field windings of the last motor of the first plurality of motors, a series field winding adapted to supply one half of the total flux required for said second generator and inserted in opposition with reference to said separate field windings of said second generator, means feeding the different separate field windings and including a supply of direct current feeding said second separate winding and both windings of the last motor of the first plurality of motors and adjustable resistances inserted between said supply and said windings of said last motor.

4. A power plant for the treatment of material in strip formation in successive treating stages, comprising a plurality of motors each adapted to make the material strip progress longitudinally through one treating stage, the last motor of said plurality of motors including two separate field windings adapted to produce each one half of the maximum flux required by the corresponding motor and the other motors of said plurality of motors including each a series field winding and a separate field winding, the series windings of said other plurality of motors being inserted in parallel, balancing resistances inserted in series with each of said series windings, a generator including a separate field winding and feeding said motors, a further motor controlling the winding of the strip material beyond said treating stages and including a series field winding, a further generator feeding said further motor and including a first separate field winding adapted to supply the total flux required for said second generator, a second separate winding adapted to supply one half of the flux required for said second generator and a series field winding adapted to supply one half of the total flux required for said second generator and inserted in opposition with reference to said separate field windings of said second generator, and means feeding the dilferent separate field windings.

5. A power plant for the treatment of material in strip formation in successive treating stages, comprising a plurality of motors each adapted to make the material strip progress longitudinally through one treating stage, the last motor of said plurality of motors including two separate field windings adapted to produce each one half of the maximum flux required by the corresponding motor and the other motors of said plurality of motors including each a series field winding and a separate field winding, a generator including a separate field winding and feeding said motors, a further motor controlling the winding of the strip material beyond said treating stages and including a series field winding, a further generator feeding said further motor and including a first separate field winding adapted to supply the total flux required for said second generator, a second separate winding adapted to supply one half of the flux required for said second generator and a series field Winding adapted to supply one half of the total flux required for said second generator and inserted in opposition with reference to said separate field windings of said second generator, means feeding the different separate field windings and including means for feeding a voltage of adjustable value and direction into the separate field winding of at least one of said other motors of the plurality of motors.

6. A power plant for the treatment of material in strip formation in successive treating stages, comprising a plurality of motors each adapted to make the material strip progress longitudinally through one treating stage, the last motor of said plurality of motors including two separate field windings adapted to produce each one half of the maximum flux required by the corresponding motor and the other motors of said plurality of motors including each a series field winding and a separate field winding, the series windings of said other motor being inserted in parallel, balancing resistances inserted in series with each of said series windings, a generator including a separate field winding and feeding said plurality of motors, a further motor controlling the winding of the strip material beyond said treating stages and including aseries field winding, a further generator feeding said further motor and including a first separate field winding adapted tosupply the total flux required for said second generator andinserted in series with the energizing field winding of the first generator, a second separate winding adapted to supply one half of the flux required for said second generator inserted in series with one of the separate field windings of the last motor of the first plurality of motors, a series field winding adapted to supply one half of the total flux required for said second generator and, insertedin opposition with reference to said separate field windings of said second generator, means feeding the different separate field windings and including an electronicsystem feeding the first separate field winding of the second generator and the energizing winding of the firstgenerator, means for adjusting the voltage supplied by said electronic system and a supply of direct current feeding both windings of the last motor of the first plurality of motors, adjustable resistances inserted between said supply and said windings of said last motor and a supplytof direct current fortthe separate field windings of the other motors of said plurality of motors.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 2,484,825 Harris Oct. 18, 1949 

